Controlling mechanism for brakes and sand-distributing apparatus for street-cars.



No. 637,829. Patented Nov. 28, I899. B. W. REICHEL.

- E CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BRAKES AND SAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR STREET CARS.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1899.)

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No. 637,829. Patented Nov. 28, I899.

E.. B. W. REIGHEL. V

GONTRI ILLING MECHANISM FOR BRAKES AND S AND'DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR STREET CABS.

(Application filed Apr. 12, 1899.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL BERTHOLD WALTER REICHEL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIEMENS & HALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BRAKES AND SAND-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 637,829, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed April 12 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL BERTHOLD WAL- TER REICHEL, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controlling Mechanism for Brakes and Sand'Distributing Apparatus for Street Cars, (Case No. 187,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in controlling mechanism for brakes and sanddistributing apparatus of street-cars, and has for its object the provision of means for simplifying the labor of controlling the apparatus in question.

It is highly desirable, particularly since the introduction of electrically-propelled cars, that the mechanism external to the electrical control of the car be as simple and require as little attention as possible on the part of the motorman.

The device of the present invention is adapted to secure the necessary control of the braking mechanism and the sand-distrib- 2 5 uting device by means of a single controlling arm or lever, and consequently reduces the number of operating parts required for use by the motorman and minimizes his work in controlling the motions of the car.

I may briefly describe the device of my invention as consisting of a compound ratchet connected with the ordinary brake-handle of the car, which ratchet is adapted to rotate two actuating parts or spindles alternatively, depending upon the direction in which the brake-handle is rotated.

The device of my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a brake-handle and ratchet equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a view in elevation illustrating the application of my im- 5 proved device to a car.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter of reference in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The tubular spindle a and the solid spindle b, inclosed thereby, which are rotatable inde- Serial No. 712,794. (No model.)

pendently of one another, are connected, respectively, with the braking appliances of the car and the sanddistributing device. Each of these spindles is provided with one member of a ratchet a b, which is keyed or otherwise secured thereon, and is adapted to transmit the proper motion of the brake-handle 0 when the same is rotated for the purpose of actuating one or the other of the connected appliances. The brake-handle c terminates in a hollow cap (1, which is provided with interior grooves d. Upon the spindle b are provided the coacting members a b of p the ratchets, the teeth of the ratchets, as will be seen, being similarly disposed, which members are maintained in engagement with the corresponding parts a b by means of a helical spring e, also disposed upon the spindle b. The ratchet members a b are rotatably mounted upon the spindle b, said members being provided with projections a b, which are adapted to enter the grooves d, provided in the cap 01. By means of these projections it will be seen that the movable ratchet members a b are readily rotated with the brakehandle in either direction, while only one or the other of the corresponding ratchet members a. b is rotated, together with its connected spindle a or b.

For example, assuming that the rotation of the brake-handle in a clockwise direction is intended to control the braking mechanism through the medium of the hollow spindle a, it will at once be seen that this movement of said handle brings the teeth of ratchet member a into engagement with those of a. and rotates the connected spindle a in a clockwise direction, thereby setting the brake of the car in the usual manner. The inclined faces of the ratchet members b 11 however, are brought into engagement by this rotation}; of the handle, and in consequence the member 11 slips past 12, thereby preventing its actuation. Should the motorman, on the other hand, desire to apply sand to the rails, he 5 would rotate the handle 0 in a contra-clockwise direction, thus engaging the teeth of ratchet members 1) 19 which serves to rotate the spindle I), while the ratchet members a a would not operatively engage each other. [00

distributing mechanism through the medium.

of four relatively-m ovable ratchet parts which normally engage each other and operatively by closing the opening. secondary ratchet mechanism g it will be connect the upper and lower portions of the spindles a and b. By pressureof the motormans foot this interposed ratchet mechanism 9 is momentarily released, thus permitting. the release of the brakes or securing the backward rotation of spindle I) through the mediumof a connected spring h, which opposes the rotation of said spindle. The spring thus immediatelyprevents the further flow of sand By employing the seen that the motorman may secure the release of the brakes or shut 0d the sand without rotating handle 0' merely by pressing upon the foot-lever f. Thus the release of either apparatus is effected without actuating the other in any way. For example, when the handle 0 has been rotated in a clockwise direction to set the brakes the sand-distributing apparatus will remain unaffected by reason of the novel construction of the upper, ratchet mechanism. If,'howeVer, the said handle should then be turned in a reverse direction for releasing the brakes, the sand-distributing apparatus would at once be actuated, and accordingly by interposing the secondary ratchet mechanism g, controlled by foot-lever f, the motorman is enabled to' release the brakes by a pressure of the foot without disturbing or actuating the'sand-distributing apparatus,which is alternatively actuated by the reverse rotation of the handle.

It is apparent that the foot-lever f when depressed'will restore the brake and the sanddistributing mechanism to their normal idle positions. If the brake has alone been applied, a depression of the foot-lever is of course only'followed by a release of the brake, as the normal condition of the sand-distributing mechanism has not been changed, or if the sand distributing mechanism has alone'been actuated it is obvious that a depression of the foot-lever will only be followed by the restoration of the sand-distributing mechanism to itsnormal condition, the brake already being released. In other words, although a depression of the foot-lever causes a separation of the couplings uniting thesections of spindle a and the sections of spindle b the only elfect at the brake and sand-distributing mechanismwill be to restore them to their normal positions, so that if the brake is already released its condition will not be changed, or if the sand-distributing mechanism is in condition to prevent the flow of the sand its condition will not be changed, so

that the foot-lever serves only to restore the braking appliance and the sand-distributing mechanism to their 'normal idle conditions and does not afiect either of these instrumentalities when in normal condition of use. It will be .understood that modifications may be made in thestructure herein shown and specifically described as embodying my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction herein shown and described.

Having now set forth apparatus illustrative of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the

combination with two rotatable members a 1) adapted alternatively to be independently actuated for securing the control of connected parts, of compound ratchet mechanism respectively associated with the said parts, and a controlling or actuating part 0 associated with the said ratchet mechanism and adapted alternatively to effectthe rotation of the parts a'orb in accordance with the direction of movement of the part a, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an actuating part orhandle c, of rotatably-m ounted partso. and 1) adapted alternatively to be operatively rotated in opposite directions, and interposed ratchet mechanism a a b 19 respectively associated with the parts a and b and adapted alternatively -to transmit the corresponding motions ofthe actuating part c in accordance withits direction of rotation, substantially as described.

3. The combination with handle 0, of spindles a and 1) adapted alternatively to be operatively rotated in opposite directions,whereby connected parts are brought into actuation, and ratchet mechanism 0t (1 and b 1) respectively associated with the parts aand b, said ratchet mechanism being interposed between the same and the actuating-handle c,wherebyspindle a or b is rotated, in accordance with the direction of rotation of part 0, substantially as described. l

4. The combination with handle 0, of spindles a and 1) adapted to be operatively rotated in opposite directions, .whereby' connected parts are brought into actuation, ratchet mechanism a a and b b respectively associated with the parts Ct and b, said" ratchet mechanism being interposed between the same and the actuating-handle 0, whereby spindle a. or b is rotated, in accordance with the direction of rotation of part c, a secondary clutch g, and a releasing-lever f adapted temporarily to disconnect operative portions of the spindles a and 19, substantially as described.

5; In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotatably-Inounted han dle 0 having a grooved cap d, of ratchetmech anism a a and b 19 one member of each a pliance having parts adapted to engage the grooves in part d, whereby the same are rotated, and spindles a b respectively connected with opposing members of the ratchet mechanism, whereby said spindles are alternatively rotated, according to the direction of rotation of the handle a, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotatably-mounted handle 0, having a grooved cap d, of ratchet mechanism 0t a and b 5 onemember of each appliance having parts adapted to engage the grooves in part d, whereby the same are rotated,spindles a b respectively connected with opposing members of the ratchet mechanism, whereby said spindles are alternatively rotated, according to the direction of rotation of the handle 0, a secondary clutch g, and a releasing-lever f adapted temporarily to disconnect operative portions of the spindles a and b, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a grooved cap 01 connected with the actuating-handle c, of compound ratchet mechanism a a 1) bathe members a b of which are adapted to engage the grooves in part (1 and be rotated thereby. spindles a I) respectively connected with ratchet members a and b and adapted to be alternatively actuated thereby, the teeth of said ratchet mechanism being similarly arranged to secure such rotation, and a spring e adapted to maintain the ratchet members in engagement, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a grooved capd connected with the actuating-handle c, of. compound ratchet mechanism a a 1) b the members a b of which are adapted to engage the grooves in part (1 and be rotated thereby, spindles a b respectively connected with ratchet members a and b and adapted to be alternatively actuated thereby, the teeth of said ratchet mechanism being similarly arranged to secure such rotation, a spring 6 adapted to maintain the ratchet members in engagement, a secondary clutch g, and a re leasing-lever f adapted temporarily to disconnect operative portions of the spindles a and 17, substantially as described.

In witness whereof Ihereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of March, A. D. 1899.

EMIL BERTHOLD WALTER REIOHEL. Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER. 

